Disposable beverage cup lid with lip-operated valve

ABSTRACT

Disposable beverage cup lid having a lower section adapted to be mounted on a beverage cup in peripheral sealing engagement with the rim of the cup, an upper section which overlies and is sealed peripherally to the lower section, an opening in the upper section through which a person can drink a beverage from the cup, a valve member mounted on the lower section for movement between open and closed positions relative to the opening in the upper section, and means operable by the lip of a person drinking from the cup for moving the valve member between the open and closed positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] This invention pertains generally to beverage cups and lids and,more particularly, to a disposable lid having a valve operated by thelip of a user for controlling the flow of liquid through an opening inthe lid.

[0003] 2. Related Art

[0004] Beverages such as coffee and soft drinks are often served in anddrunk from disposable cups made of styrofoam, paper and/or other plasticmaterials. To prevent spillage, such cups are commonly provided withlids which fit tightly over the rims of the cups in sealing engagement.Some of lids have openings through which the beverage can be drunkwithout removing the lid from the cup, and some have closures forsealing the openings. In some instances, lids have been provided withclosures which can be moved to open positions by the lips of users, andexamples of such devices are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,015,411,3,208,629, 3,338,467 and 3,905,512.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is, in general, an object of the invention to provide a newand improved disposable beverage cup lid having a valve operated by thelip of the user for controlling the flow of liquid through an opening inthe lid.

[0006] Another object of the invention is to provide a disposablebeverage cup lid of the above character which overcomes the limitationsand disadvantages of the lids heretofore provided.

[0007] These and other objects are achieved in accordance with theinvention by providing a disposable beverage cup lid having a lowersection adapted to be mounted on a beverage cup in peripheral sealingengagement with the rim of the cup, an upper section which overlies andis sealed peripherally to the lower section, an opening in the uppersection through which a person can drink a beverage from the cup, avalve member mounted on the lower section for movement between open andclosed positions relative to the opening in the upper section, and meansoperable by the lip of a person drinking from the cup for moving thevalve member between the open and closed positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of a disposablebeverage cup lid according to the invention in an open position.

[0009]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1mounted on a beverage cup in an unfolded or open position.

[0010]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 mounted ona beverage cup in a closed position.

[0011]FIG. 4 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 3, showing the lid inan open position.

[0012]FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary views of the embodiment ofFIG. 1, showing the valve mechanism in different operating positions.

[0013]FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the embodiment of FIG.1, with the valve in its closed position.

[0014]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary isometric view, partly broken away, of theembodiment of FIG. 1, showing the manner in which the lid interfits witha cup.

[0015]FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a disposablebeverage cup lid according to the invention in an unfolded or openposition.

[0016]FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 9mounted on a beverage cup.

[0017]FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the embodiment of FIG. 9 on thecup.

[0018]FIG. 12 is a fragmentary isometric view similar to FIG. 11,showing the lid in an open position.

[0019]FIGS. 13 and 14 are side elevational views, partly broken away, ofthe embodiment of FIG. 9 mounted on a cup in different operatingpositions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, the lid 21 has a lower section 22and an upper section 23 which are connected together by a hinge 24. Thelid is fabricated as a unitary structure of a material such aspolystyrene. The lid is disposable in the sense that it is intended tobe used once and then recycled or discarded.

[0021] The lower section has a generally planar body 26, with aperipheral rim 27 for securing the lid in sealing engagement with thelip of a disposable beverage cup 28. The upper section has a planar topwall 29 with an outer rim 31 which secures the upper section to thelower section and forms a peripheral seal with the lower section whenthe lid is mounted on a cup with the upper section overlying the lowersection. As best seen in FIG. 8, the lower section also has a dependingskirt 31 which extends into the upper portion of the cup to minimizespillage.

[0022] An outlet opening 32 and a vent opening 33 are formed on oppositesides of the lower section, and an outlet opening 34 is formed in arecessed area 36 in the upper section. With the lid in its closedposition, the outlet opening in the upper section is directly above theoutlet opening in the lower section, and a beverage can be drunk fromthe cup through the two openings.

[0023] Means operable by the upper lip of a person drinking from the cupis provided for sealing outlet opening 34 to minimize spillage when thebeverage is not being drunk. That means includes an L-shaped lever 37which is pivotally mounted to the body 26 of the lower section at theinner edge of opening 32. The lever has a generally vertical arm 38which passes through a second opening 39 in the recessed area of theupper section and a generally horizontal arm 41 which extends intoopening 32. A valve member 42 is mounted on the horizontal arm forsealing the outlet opening 34 in the upper section.

[0024] A link 43 is hingedly connected to the outer end of lever arm 41and to the peripheral portion of the lower section on the outer side ofopening 32 to form a toggle having two stable positions for latching thevalve member in open and closed positions relative to outlet opening 34.

[0025] The opening for lever arm 38 is spaced inwardly from outletopening 34, and lever arm 38 is thus positioned for engagement by theupper lip of a person drinking through opening 34. In the embodimentillustrated, lever arm 38 has a generally rectangular cross section, andas best seen in FIG. 7, opening 39 is formed by cutting top wall 29along only three sides of the opening, leaving a flap 44 along theremaining side for sealing engagement with the outer side of lever arm38.

[0026] In use, the lid is mounted on the cup, with upper section 23folded over and secured to lower section 22. To open the valve to drinkthe beverage from the cup, a person engages lever arm 38 with his upperlip and pulls it in an outward direction toward the edge of the lid,thereby pivoting the lever in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed inFIG. 5. As the lever pivots in that direction, it draws valve member 42in a downward direction toward an open position relative to outletopening 34, thereby permitting the person to drink the beverage throughthe opening.

[0027] Initially, the lever arm and the link 43 at its outer end areinclined toward each other in an upward direction. As the outer end oflever arm 41 travels in a downward direction, it draws the inner end oflink 43 with it, building up an endwise or axial force in the two. Asthe lever arm and link pass through an aligned position, the force whichhas built up in them toggles them to a downwardly inclined position,thereby latching the valve member carried by the lever arm in an openposition. If the lever is released by the lip before the toggle point isreached, the resiliency of the material will return the valve member tothe closed position.

[0028] Once the valve member has been latched in the open position, itcan be returned to its closed position by pushing lever arm 38 in aninward direction away from the edge of the cup, thereby pivoting thelever in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6. The lever arm can bemoved in that direction either with the upper lip or by hand. This drawsthe hinged ends of the lever arm and link in a upward direction, and thetoggle force thereby developed urges the two toward the upper sectionand latches the valve member in its closed position. With the toggleforce urging the valve member in an upward direction, the outlet openingis tightly sealed, thereby minimizing the chances of spillage or leakagethrough it.

[0029] The embodiment of FIGS. 9-14 also has an upper section 46 and alower section 47 which are fabricated as a unitary structure of amaterial such as polystyrene and joined together by a hinge 48. As inthe previous embodiment, the lower section has an outer rim 49 whichsecures lid to the rim or lip of a beverage cup 51, and the uppersection has an outer rim 52 which secures the two sections together,with peripheral seals between the sections and between the lid and thecup. This lid is also disposable in the sense that it is intended to beused once and then recycled or discarded.

[0030] An outlet opening 53 and a vent opening 54 are formed on oppositesides of the lower section, and an outlet opening 56 is formed in theupper section, as in the previous embodiment. However, in thisembodiment, the upper section has a raised portion 57 toward one side,and the outlet opening is formed in a recessed area 58 in the raisedportion.

[0031] Flow through outlet opening 56 is controlled by a valve member 59mounted on an arm 61 for movement between open and closed positionsrelative to the opening. The outer end of arm 61 is connected to theupper end of a lever 62 which is pivotally connected to the rim portionof the lower section near the outer side of opening 53. The inner end ofarm 61 is connected to a post 63 which extends in an upward directionfrom the body 64 of the lower section at the inner edge of opening 53.

[0032] Lever 62, post 63 and arm 61 extend into the raised portion 57 ofupper section 46, with the outer surface of the lever in close proximityto the side wall 66 of the raised section. As best seen in FIGS. 11 and12, the portion of the arm on which valve member 59 is mounted isinclined in an inward and upward direction, and an inward force appliedto the lever by a person's lower lip through the flexible side wallmoves the valve member to an open position away from outlet opening 56.When the force is release, the resiliency of the arm return the valvemember to its closed position and holds it there.

[0033] The invention has a number of important features and advantages.It provides a non-spill lid for disposable beverage cups with a flowcontrol valve which is readily controlled by the lip of a persondrinking from the cup. The lid can be manufactured inexpensively and isdisposable in that it can be used once then recycled or discarded.

[0034] It is apparent from the foregoing that a new and improvedbeverage cup lid has been provided. While only certain presentlypreferred embodiments have been described in detail, as will be apparentto those familiar with the art, certain changes and modifications can bemade without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims.

1. A disposable beverage cup lid, comprising: a lower section adapted tobe mounted on a beverage cup in peripheral sealing engagement with therim of the cup, an upper section which overlies and is sealedperipherally to the lower section, an opening in the upper sectionthrough which a person can drink a beverage from the cup, a valve membermounted on the lower section for movement between open and closedpositions relative to the opening in the upper section, and meansoperable by the lip of a person drinking from the cup for moving thevalve member between the open and closed positions.
 2. The lid of claim1 wherein the upper and lower sections are formed as a unitarystructure.
 3. The lid of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower sectionsare connected together by a hinge.
 4. The lid of claim 1 wherein theupper and lower sections are fabricated of a polystyrene material. 5.The lid of claim 1 wherein the means for moving the valve memberincludes an operating lever which is pivotally connected to the lowersection and extends in a generally vertical direction through a secondopening in the upper section in position for engagement by the upper lipof a person drinking from the cup.
 6. The cup of claim 5 wherein theupper section includes a flap which extends along one side of the secondopening in sealing engagement with the lever.
 7. The lid of claim 1wherein the means for moving the valve member includes an operatinglever which is pivotally connected to the lower section near itsperiphery and is connected to the valve member for moving the valvemember toward the open position in response to an inwardly directedapplied to the lever by the lower lip of a person drinking from the cup.8. The lid of claim 1 wherein the upper section includes a recessed areain which the first named opening is located.
 9. A disposable beveragecup lid, comprising: a lower section adapted to be mounted on a beveragecup in peripheral sealing engagement with the rim of the cup, an uppersection which overlies and is sealed peripherally to the lower section,openings in the upper and lower sections toward one side of the lid, anL-shaped lever pivotally mounted on the lower section with a first armof the lever extending through a second opening in the upper section forengagement by the upper lip of a person drinking from the cup and asecond arm extending in an outward direction into the opening in thelower section, and a valve member mounted on the second arm for movementbetween open and closed positions relative to the first named opening inthe upper section.
 10. The lid of claim 9 including a link hingedlyconnected to the outer end of the second lever arm and to the peripheralportion of the lower section to form a toggle having two stablepositions for latching the valve member in the open and closedpositions.
 11. The lid of claim 10 wherein the lever and the link areformed as a unitary structure and fabricated of a polystyrene material.12. The cup of claim 9 wherein the upper section includes a flap whichextends along one side of the second opening in sealing engagement withthe first arm of the lever.
 13. The lid of claim 9 including a secondopening in the lower section spaced diagonally opposite the first namedopenings.
 14. The lid of claim 9 wherein the upper section includes arecessed area in which the first named opening is located.
 15. Adisposable beverage cup lid, comprising: a lower section adapted to bemounted on a beverage cup in peripheral sealing engagement with the rimof the cup, an upper section which overlies and is sealed peripherallyto the lower section, openings in the upper and lower sections towardone side of the lid, an upstanding lever pivotally mounted on the lowersection between the openings and the side of the lid, an upstanding postmounted on the lower section opposite the lever, a flexible armextending between the upper ends of the lever and the post, and a valvemember carried by the flexible arm for movement out of sealingengagement with the opening in the upper section in response to aninwardly directed force applied to the lever by the lower lip of aperson drinking from the cup.
 16. The lid of claim 15 wherein the lid isfabricated as a unitary structure of a polystyrene material.
 17. The lidof claim 15 including a second opening in the lower section spaceddiagonally opposite the first named openings.
 18. The lid of claim 15wherein the upper section includes a recessed area in which the openingis located.
 19. A disposable beverage cup lid formed as a unitarystructure of a polystyrene material, comprising: a lower section adaptedto be mounted on a beverage cup in peripheral sealing engagement withthe rim of the cup, an upper section which overlies and is sealedperipherally to the lower section, openings in the upper and lowersections toward one side of the lid, an L-shaped lever pivotally mountedon the lower section with a first arm of the lever extending through asecond opening in the upper section for engagement by the upper lip of aperson drinking from the cup and a second arm extending in an outwarddirection into the opening in the lower section, a valve member mountedon the second arm for movement between open and closed positionsrelative to the first named opening in the upper section, and a linkhingedly connected to the outer end of the second lever arm and to theouter portion of the lower section to form a toggle having two stablepositions for latching the valve member in the open and closedpositions.
 20. The cup of claim 19 wherein the upper section includes aflap which extends along one side of the second opening in sealingengagement with the first arm of the lever.
 21. The lid of claim 19including a second opening in the lower section spaced diagonallyopposite the first named openings.
 22. The lid of claim 19 wherein theupper section includes a recessed area in which the first named openingis located.